Straight-knitting machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. E. WAKEMAN.

STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 579,199. Patented Mar. 23, 1897'.

' [Wm/vim? WITNESSES w M 2a A r 9 99220171 eys.

2 U 8 e h S m e e h S 3 (No Model.)

No; 579,199. Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

UVVEWTOQB 3 727 rkerQ BMZZZ/ WHWESSES JZ (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. G. E. WAKE-MAN.

' STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 579,199. Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

llnrrnn Ernrns PATENT @rrrcn.

CHARLES E. 'WAKEMAN, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

STRAIGHT-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,199, dated March 28, 1897. Application filed March 5, 1894. Serial No. 502,363. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. WAKEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pontiac, county of Oakland, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Straight-Knitting Machines; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the so called Lamb knitting-machine, which is in commen use; and it consists in the various changes hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the top of a portion of the carriage, showing the take-up stand containing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 00 a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the cam-movement containing my improvements. Fig. 4 is a detail View of the opposite side of Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is a detail of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail View of Fig. at with a portion of the holding-plate removed. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the carriage holder and guide. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail Views of the friction-rollers and mechanism contained therewith. Fig. 10 is a detail view, partly in section, of the engagement of the yarn-guide shifter with the shifter-stud.

In the drawings similar letters refer to similar parts.

A represents the carriage of the ordinary Lambknittingmachine; B, thebed-p1ateg O, the take-up stand; D, the yarn-guide; E, my improved yarn-guide shifter; F F, the yarnguide shifter-studs; G, a dog-shifter; II, a

lock therefor; J J, dogs for controlling the action of the V-cam N; N N wing-cams; K, a needle guard and guide; L L, guide-bars which are made rigid with the bed by means of the cross-pieces L L, held by the brackets L attached at either end of the bed at L Depending from the carriage upon either side are guide-hangers M M, the lower portions of which carry in pockets friction-rollers m, which impinge against the under side of the guide-bar L and are made adjustable by screw-bearings m and the nut T. Frictionlugs m engage the upper face of the guidebar L. The construction upon each side is the same. As these machines are in common use, the detail portions that are not necessary to illustrate my invention are omitted. The yarn-guide D, in this class of machines, has necessarily to be shifted at each end of the stroke to either side of atransverse position, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to carry the yarn ahead of the stitching-needles on either stroke of the machine. My yarn-guide shifter E consists of a double spring attached in its center to the yarn-guide D at c and having at either end slot-holes c 6.

At each end of the bed B is rigidly attached a guide-shifter stud F, the upper end of which, at f, projects sufficiently far upward to have its upper extremity slightly above the normal horizontal plane of the ends of the return-spring guide-shifter E, but in the same perpendicular plane with the center line drawn through the openings c e.

The upper end of the yarn-guide-shifter stud at fis fitted to engage in these openings 6 e, as shown in Fig. 10, in which the shifter E is shown engaging the stud F, and as the upper portions of the stud are beveled in either direction this detachable connection is so adjustedthat as thespring-sh ifter E reaches the stud F the outer end of the spring rises and rides over the top of it, and then falling, by its elasticity brings the extremity of the stud at f into the slotted hole 6. This occurs simultaneously with the end. of a stroke of the carriage. As the return stroke commences, the slot c, engaging the outer end of the stud F, is retained by it with suflicient friction before sliding over the beveled end to cause the yarn-guide D to be shifted in that direction oppositeto the travel of the carriage a suiiicient distance to give the arm the necessary lead.

It is obvious that the spring-shifter E can be given such a degree of elastic tension as to compensate for any wear at the upper end of the stud F, and thus secure the positive shifting of the yarn-guide, a matter that has been found with the ordinary appliances to be extremely difficult to secure for any length of time in the continued use of the machines.

Figs. 3, 4:, 5, and 6 show details of my improved apparatus for operating the needles. These consist, primarily, of the cam N, the

lOO

wing-cams N and N all of which are rigidly attached to the cam-plate K, the V-cam N not being movable, as in the ordinary construction. These cams are so adjusted as to form between them and the needle guard or guide K grooves P P P in the form of a triangle.

At J J are dogs pivoted at the apexes of the cam N at jj, and which, as are shown in Fig. 3, are adapted to close off the slots in the manner shown in the figure. Fig. 5 is a detail figure of one of these dogs together with the pivotal portion which passes through the cam and the cam-plate K into a box K as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The cam-plate K is secured to the carriage, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the box K lies between the said plate and said carriage. The axes of the dogs are flattened at one portion at j, as shown in Fig. 5, and when they are in position this flattened portion corresponds with the space or slot at the upper edge of box K Held in this space is a double spring K, (shown in Fig. 6,) the outer flattened ends of this spring engaging in the slots or flattened portions j of the dogs J J. They thus resist any overturning tendency and hold the dogs in the position shown at the right in Fig. 3 with a force proportionate to the strain of the spring K It is obvious, therefore, that the shank on the needle entering the lower end of slot P in the direction of the arrow (dogs J J being at the lower edge of the cam-plate when in the machine) would be compelled to travel in the slot by means of the dog J, in the usual manner, thus lifting the needle until it reaches the apex of the slots, when again passing downward it passes out by the rectilinear motion of the carriage past the opposite dog, the dog springing back to permit its passage. Obviously on the return motion the last-mentioned dog prevents the needle from entering into the slot, but it is guided by the needle-guide K to the opposite extremity of the horizontal slot, when the dog J permits'it to pass out ward, but instantly closes the passage after it.

Obviously by shifting the dog J the needle on the return passage can be compelled to pass through the angular slots P P in the same track, butin the opposite direction that it did in the first instance, and thus the needles would be caused to knit in one direction or in both directions of the movement of the carriage, according to the position of the dogs. To provide for such shifting and to hold the same in position,the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 is designed. This consists of the dog-shifter G, having a pin g, which pivotall y engages the carriage and which is a continuation of the axis of the dog J. It is obvious that the dog J can be turned manually by the pin g. It is held in the position leaving open the slot P by the lock II, which consists of a lever adapted to engage in a slot in the dog-shifter G after it has been turned, as hereinbefore stated. By releasing the lock the dog-shifter and the dog J at once resume the position shown in Fig. 3 by virtue of the tension of the spring K. By means of this mechanism I not only can knit in both directions, but avoid all necessity of employing a shifting cam in place of the rigid cam N, which shifting cam has been found to be open to many objections, the principal of which is that after the parts become slightly worn the cam-plate N does not shift to the full extent required, and it therefore catches the needles and either destroys the stitch by shifting them in the wrong direction, breaks them off, or bruises them or the grooves in the bed-plate, and thus seriously injures the machine. The non-existence of the shifting cam also permits another improvement, which, though simple, is of much consequence. This consists of slots cut in the faces of the wing-cams l N at R R. These slots permit the carriage to rest directly upon the bed-plate throughoutits whole length, and thus come down to a comparatively even rigid bearing.

In order to prevent oscillation of the car riage, I have devised improvements shown in Figs. '7, S, and 9, and hereinbefore described. These improvements consist in obtaining a bearing for the carriage, which is at once transversely wider and has considerable length longitudinally. Thus under all circumstances the carriage is compelled to move longitudinally upon the bed-plate with rigid security without oscillation, twisting, or any other irregular motion. The wear is not only reduced to a minimum, but is easily capable of being taken up by adjustments. The life of the machine and of its accessories is very much prolonged, and the expense of repairs is reduced to a minimum.

What I claim is 1. In a knitting-machine having a traversing carriage, the combination of such carriage, the three fixed triangular cam-plates N N N a needle-guard K, and the dogsJ J, the wing-cams N N having formed therein slots R R, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a knitting-m achine, having a traversin'g carriage, the combination of such carriage, a needle-bed upon which said carriage reciprocates, guide-bars rigidly attached to said needle-bed, triangular cam-plates N, N, N fixed to said carriage, the needle-guard K, the dogs J, J, the wing-cams N, N having slots R, R, formed therein, hangers attached to said carriage and adapted to engage the guide-bars, and adjustable frictionrollers located in said hangers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. \VAKEMAN.

Witnesses:

KITTIE GRAHAM, LEONARD LAsHER.

IIS 

